Canada announces new partnership to fund gender equality and empower women and girls in developing countries 

Minister Bibeau launches call to action to the private sector, investors and philanthropists to contribute

May 25, 2018 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

Canada has become a global champion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, both at home and abroad. In launching the Feminist International Assistance Policy in 2017, Canada committed to expand innovative partnerships that have the greatest potential to close gender gaps and eliminate barriers to gender equality in order to effectively reduce poverty and support women’s rights movements and organizations in developing countries.

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today announced Canada will launch consultations on the creation of a unique partnership to catalyze new investments in support of gender equality and women’s rights in developing countries.

This initiative will draw on the strengths of the Government of Canada, the philanthropic community, the private sector and civil society to mobilize unprecedented levels of resources in support of this goal.

Canada is willing to contribute up to $300 million to such a partnership.

This summer, the government will consult with civil society, the philanthropic community and the private sector to build a platform that will help to grow investments that advance the empowerment of women and girls in the developing world.

Minister Bibeau challenged Canadian and international philanthropists, as well as Canadian and international members of the private sector and civil society to seize the opportunity of this partnership, to learn more about its potential and to contribute to it.